2/3 Season 1, Episode 2: There goes the neighbourhood

So Lee just interrupted his babycakes’ interview and swept her away from that awful -but.. guaranteed job.. As funny as all this is, I hate Lee calling Amanda the little woman and I could throttle Lee for ruining her chances at a full time job- all because he has a three day job for her.. whooop de doooo… I gotta say she doesn’t get as angry as she could have.. ( I would have been way more cranky!) Especially since he did just outright tell her he doesn’t need her!

Ahh the first time Lee says to Amanda: We’re getting married! and we hear Amanda’s reply ‘that’s asking too much’ – delivery is really fast and funny.. Amanda all indignant, Lee all cool and self assured that she will do what he needs her to – oh and she does Lee.. she really does! However.. not without you paying a price for it buddy! You are rightly going to be given a few verbal jabs of Amanda’s! ( as the season 3 dvd blurb likes to call them!) Amanda’s zingers keep hitting Lee throughout this brilliant scene!!

Lee: ..guns are being smuggled from the United States to guerillas in Central America. A lot of people are getting killed. We want to know where those guns are coming from.

Love Amanda’s straight faced : Oh that sounds right up my alley!

Amanda may sound catty.. but I can understand why since he just ruined her guaranteed job.. grrrr… Fiesty! whoo hoo!! Suffer Lee!!!

Lee just tries to ignore the comment and moves on.. ( This kind of mirrors how Amanda responded to Lee’s objections to her being his partner earlier don’t you think?!)

Also love Amanda’s response to Lee here:

Lee: And he thought it would be kind of nice if at least one of us were authentic.Amanda: Oh, well, I don’t have to ask which one of us that might be.

Poor Amanda, having to face the suburbs without any agency training – from the looks of Lee they don’t do suburbs survival 101 in agency training.. wimps!

Hey, What’s with the different house to the one in the credits? did Amanda have to move to a house with a white picket fence when she started working with the agency??!!!!! hmm..

Last week… This week…

Dotty tells Amanda’s boyfriend her darkest moments?? well that is weird!( I thought nothing bad ever happened in the suburbs??!!) hmmm.. maybe Dotty doesn’t really have ‘darkest moments ‘as we would imagine them to be.. Maybe Dotty’s darkest moments are breaking a nail or something.. oh man, I would be worried about what she was telling Dean about Amanda.. poor Dean having to listen to it! I am guessing he probably doesn’t want to be listening to her but can’t say no!… The look on Amanda’s face when Dotty says “he’s so patient, it’s like talking to a registered nurse.” is priceless! gotta include it!
The look says it all!

How convenient, the boys will be staying over at a friend’s house that night, just when she needs to stay with Lee!

Ahhh that wonderful line of Dotty’s is here! Amanda laments that her kids are growing up… and Dotty responds:Dotty: I know. It’s terrifying how fast they drift away. I mean, one minute you’re changing their diapers, and the next minute, they’re off in Honduras, getting tattoos.

Love how Amanda pauses a moment, grits her teeth and then has to spin a story for her mother about where she is going and what she is doing.. don’t worry Amanda it will get easier.. err eventually you will be keeping your marriage from her! grrrr…

The next thing we see is Amanda’s hand with a wedding ring on it.. holding up a big bison head or whatever it is.. Awhhh it’s nice to see the rings… Lee asks Amanda while looking at the head: will you be bringing lots of things from home? and Amanda responds she told her mother she was at a rummage sale.. Soooo I am thinking now that the big head is from Amanda’s mum??? I never noticed that..

Amanda goes off to direct the movers and leaves Lee with the job of moving the beast head – haaa.. hear him mumble to himself ‘ I don’t like this‘ as he grits his teeth and picks the thing up?? He seems to have a look on his face like ewwwww this thing is gross!! haaa I’ll bet it’s smelly too!! but.. suffer babycakes Lee!!

At the end of a long day settling in Amanda says to Lee: “why do I look so messy and you look so good” and Lee says “It’s me. ” – it is funny…. but I could throttle the guy..

I love that she says “Lee have you done anything?”and that she doesn’t let it slide.. Lee is thinking it is not worth making an effort as they will only be there a few days I guess.. but still i am glad she pointed it out! ( Amanda doesn’t look messy to me, she actually looks gorgeous! )

‘Government issue suburban grouping’ ? LOL!

I gotta say, that is one ugly couch, that is one ugly moose bison buffalo elephant beasty whatever the heck that animal is that Lee worked all day long putting up! The government has ugly suburban grouping furniture!!

Neighbourhood hazing session.. errr I mean Welcome wagon? 9 or 10 people just show up??? errr can I ask is this normal behaviour that everyone comes around like that? the day they moved in? people are usually exhausted the end of the day moving house, and don’t have everything out, and a kitchen full of food or stuff to make strawberry daiquiris.. ???? I find this whole idea of everyone turning up for a party the first night uninvited to be a bit strange! It is lovely they want to get to know you.. but err space please people!

Poor Lee.. this must be like diving straight into the deep end.. it seems to be a novel experience to him to be so out of his comfort zone- suburbia??? arghh!!!! a single mother housewife?? arggh!!!! making strawberry daiquiris ?? argh!!! not knowing what you’re doing?? arrgghhhhhhhhhhh!! yep. Lee is much more comfortable breaking into homes, chasing bad guys.. I like that this week it is Lee’s turn to be the fish out of water for a bit!

Love the little pose Lee does as the uninvited neighbours come into their home.. drink in hand, hand in pocket, chest out, head high.. yep tell yourself you know what you are doing Lee.. that will help! ( this reminds me of show pony Lee posing for Amanda at the top of the stairs in his tux last week!)

Did Amanda just say they are running low on Bean dip?? Man this show loves bean dip!! Hmm.. beginning of ACM Kid I think it is.. Lee on stakeout with his bean dip.. Hmm maybe he acquires a taste for it here in suburbia!

Whoo I like seeing a wedding ring on Lee’s hand… it is even nicer now I know that Lee and Amanda get married one day for real.. ahhhhhh…..

I love grumpy Lee making daiquiris.. ahhhh love too Amanda’s encouragement.. “your really doing very well. … really!”... he isn’t quite believing it though! He is stressed out here isn’t he.. this is asking too much now you know how Amanda feels.. you should have taken the agency course in welcome wagons 101 Lee.. I don’t think he is cranky with Amanda here as he takes out his frustrations on the blender – I think he is feeling out of control again.. and Lee doesn’t like it! He knows he is rubbish at what he is doing- and doesn’t like to show it.. well.. that’s my guess.. anyone??? I love the look on Amanda’s face as she realises her encouragement isn’t being well received and a quick escape is probably her best move here! haaa….

Amanda meets Harriet at the welcome party..
Haaaaa… Lee is so funny when he walks through the living room with a big smile and says “I’ll get it” (that’s get the door because the bell is ringing)..
and then the moment he is past them his smile disappears!! hehehee.. I am enjoying this week’s episode.. lots to love.. Lee and Amanda married.. fiesty Amanda.. grumpy Lee not getting things his way and easy.. ahhhh yep love it!

Would a man whose wife went missing a day or two ago head over to a neighbours for a welcome party? I would imagine you wouldn’t much feel like it,lucky the policeman guessed where to find him….

Lee is brushing his teeth and talking to Amanda after everyone has left.. well the scene opens with an open bathroom door and Amanda saying off camera “with all that has happened you may need me here..” in a low, energetic voice and then you see Lee come out and Amanda, in a completely different mood, struggles to stand and says with a loud, slow and yawn: ” you really think I ought to take that job Judy was talking about. “ weird…. the two lines totally don’t fit.. you’d think they could do a voice over to match the mood of the scene they are fitting it into.. ohhhh whatever!

Ohhh THE open shirt scene..

Lee: Well, I’m going to bed. (Amanda: )We can’t go over there till three or four in the morning.Amanda: Why not? Frank’s not there. He’s at the Rosemonts’.Lee: I don’t want anyone up to watch us break in. Now, are you coming?Lee gestures to Amanda as if to say come on.. come upstairs!

Amanda: No! I can’t sleep here. How would I explain it? I’d feel like I was lying and sneaking.Lee: You are lying and sneaking. You’re working for the government.Amanda: Noooo! I mean . . .I would feel guilty. You know? She pauses… and Lee reacts..Like I was . . . having a thing. Or something. You know?Lee: A “thing”?Amanda: Yes, you know. A thing!!

Lee: Like an affair?

Amanda: Yes. That kind of a thing.

Lee: Well, you’re not. Now, do you like a window open at night?

This scene is brilliant isn’t it??!!! It would be helpful to Amanda’s cover story if Lee kept her informed on what they are doing.. how is she suppose to know you can’t break into Frank Bodene’s till 3am? hmmm..
ahhh I took heaps of pics of Lee here with his shirt open..
I so hrd ot concentrate….. kihudtspsp;sxiok7fopoc7

Ok.. I’m back! 😉 [must not look directly at pics of Lee in this scene..]
I think Lee is confused by her sensitivity here.. but that he also kinda finds it endearing.. He isn’t sure how to deal with it though.. another new experience for Lee!! haaaa.. Do you think? The look on his face when he realises what she is saying .. about her feeling like she was having a ‘thing’.. is really cute! Endearing in a kind of oh bless her heart the sweet little girl kinda way…

I think good on Amanda for being straightforward about it, and not just pretending that she was comfortable with it all like it was normal or whatever. I think Lee respects her for it, eventually, but err maybe not right now cos he just wants to go get some sleep (in the bed)! heheee..

Amanda: Lee. I have to consider Dean.Lee: Okay. How does he feel about windows?Amanda: Never mind, never mind. You don’t understand —Lee: All I understand is that we are on a job. Now this is purely business, is that not correct? [Ahh there Lee goes with his this is professional line- one of many more times to come he will say this!!! haaaa]Amanda: Yes, that is correct.Lee: Okay, then one of us gets the bed, the other the couch, I don’t care. But the important thing is that we get some sleep. You tend to get killed less often that way. ( Lee finishes this sentence and then immediately heads upstairs to the bed.. yeah right you don’t care which.. Leeeee!!! ugh!!!!)Amanda: Who gets the bed?(Lee’s half way up the stairs….)

Lee: The senior agent always gets the bed.

Lee:Get your mind out of the gutter, would you?
[Err Lee what exactly do you think Amanda was thinking then?!!! you want to walk around with your shirt open and ask a girl to come up to bed and you tell Amanda to get her mind out of the gutter?!!!! ]Amanda turns around and walks to the couch and lets out a disgusted ‘Uggghhh!!!’

(oh my.. what a gentleman.. Lee you idiot! you got a lot to learn buddy!) Lee is learning about Amanda too isn’t he.. it’s interesting to watch this scene and think of the times and situations ahead of them – where it is demonstrated how little by little Lee comes to understand Amanda better..

I do think Lee was assuming Amanda would just share the bed.. and it had’t occured to him there was a problem..then he acts like ohhh he was thinking bed/couch the whole time.. cha right Lee!

Ahhh right.. (19 minutes in and we finally see the baddie.. hmm interesting..) this week- the baddie is a mummy’s boy.. (ok ok.. mommy’s boy for Americans)..
“If she was alive She would be saying I’m proud of you Bobby“.. errr nope…she’d be saying your a freak! “You never said I’m proud of you Bobby.” – errr gee I wonder why..

Oh yeah Lee, good instructions.. poor Amanda! “just check”???!!! It is really cute how she opens the bathroom door whispering “excuse me”!!! and why was frank under the kitchen table? Had the bad guys already come by the time they arrive? You would have thought they would have taken the shorted out hairdryer with them to avoid anyone making a connection.. (hmm so maybe they didn’t) Poor Amanda, the old hand around the ankle in creepy dark house would have done me in!! Oh my gosh.. the guy in the balaclava would have totally done me in!!!! I think she copes really well! Ahhh the tortured and afraid “Leeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!” I think that is the first time we hear it isn’t it???? !!!!!!! ahhhhh.. the first of many more to come! I have no idea how one minute he is walking up stairs and leaving Amanda and the next he is outside in front of the garage.. it sounded like he was chasing the kitty..

Hey what’s with the flock of flamingos in the front yard? A little cold on the Betsy Ross estate for them isn’t it? whoa … Lee nearly got stabbed by a flamingo.. the shame of it.. It is funny how he picks up one and goes into an ‘on guard!!’ kinda pose, and then, realises what he is holding! A really funny touch!!

Yeah baddies, screech around, try and run over Lee- twice, that is really getting in and out without calling attention to yourself.. Bobby’s mummy wouldn’t be proud!!

Oh nooooo!!! the white van ran over the flamingos!!!! quick mouth to beak!!! (It’s a massacre!!)

Mr Bodene was conscious when he grabbed Amanda’s ankle.. couldn’t he have been talking to Amanda while the struggle was going on outside? all he could get out was “hairdryer“??.. nice of him to wait until Lee was back in the room and all, but probably not a wise choice!

The next day in the supermarket parking lot- the boys are running amok! they sure don’t seem to listen to Amanda do they..

The whole Harriet talking to Amanda in front of Dotty is too funny… I wished this crossover could have happened more often!

Harriet: Yoo-hoo! …Is that you? It is! Listen, they sent over your sample case, so I guess you can start your route today. Isn’t that awful about poor Frank getting stabbed? You know, he’d come over to our place, but, he just couldn’t sleep, so he went on home and that’s when they got him. And he was so upset about poor Betty getting strangled. Well, I’ve got to run. You say hi to your husband. Bye!

Amanda just listens ..and gives a half wave as she goes- haaaa and finally all Amanda says to Dotty is “I guess she thought I was someone else??!!!” ( I just love the way this line is delivered!!!! soooo funny!!! sheeshh..)
and then Amanda gets out of there leaving Dotty – speechless!!!! – Mark this momentus occasion everyone!!! Dotty: speechless!!!!! ( just wait till Dean hears about this from Dotty )

Ahhh just another day in the boring suburbs!!! haaaa…

Anyone out there in the big cyberspace like to share their thoughts?? My ears are always open! 🙂

I’ll be back with the final installment of this episode in a few days – byeee and thanks for reading!!

My only question is at this point in the series, if Dotty knew Amanda was spending the time with super spy Lee in all of his unbuttoned shirt glory, would a relationship with “nurse Dean” still be a viable option for our heroine?

Probably not, but I would love to know what Dotty would think if she had only just a clue about the man Amanda is spending time with.

#2019rewatch
This time around, it struck me that Amanda kept Lee busy in the kitchen. She had him making strawberry daiquiris and told him to light the outdoor grill. Did she do that on purpose? Was Lee that clumsy at “suburban soirée” chit chat?

He was definitely yearning to break free. So when that doorbell rang, Lee raced through the crowd like he just bagged a Get Out of Jail Free card!

#2019rewatchIt is really cute how she opens the bathroom door whispering “excuse me”!!!
This totally had me rolling watching this ep tonight. I love that little line of hers! It’s extra funny because she says it at all AND that she whispers it! 🤣

Also, I find it hilarious that an entire posse of neighbors shows up completely uninvited to a party that didn’t exist until they got there on moving night…but the really loud van busting though the garage and running over the yard/flamingo sword fight/Amanda screaming her awesome “Lee” call…this evidently didn’t warrant any response whatsoever from the neighbors. If I’m not mistaken, not even a light goes on in nearby houses. 😂

Lastly, this supermarket parking lot scene is soooooooo wonderful. The boys all over the place is just real life (says the mom of 4 kiddos). Harriet’s delivery of her lines, Amanda and Dotty’s wordless reactions and then Amanda’s “I guess she thought I was somebody else!”….this scene is brilliance!

#2019rewatch
Oh my gosh! I love reading your thoughts on this ep. Love being reminded of this ep. so good! I actually do not remember what I said it was so long ago lol!

Also, I find it hilarious that an entire posse of neighbors shows up completely uninvited to a party that didn’t exist until they got there on moving night…but the really loud van busting though the garage and running over the yard/flamingo sword fight/Amanda screaming her awesome “Lee” call…this evidently didn’t warrant any response whatsoever from the neighbors. If I’m not mistaken, not even a light goes on in nearby houses. 😂

Yeahhhhh lol. I think no lights came on with the neighbours because Lee was too heavy with the booze in those daiquiris. All part of his cunning plan!

Lastly, this supermarket parking lot scene is soooooooo wonderful. The boys all over the place is just real life (says the mom of 4 kiddos). Harriet’s delivery of her lines, Amanda and Dotty’s wordless reactions and then Amanda’s “I guess she thought I was somebody else!”….this scene is brilliance!

I sooo agree! it is top shelf smk humour! I miss these moments later in the show as things progress..

“Lee: Like an affair?
Amanda: Yes. That kind of a thing.
Lee: Well, you’re not. Now, do you like a window open at night?
Amanda: Lee. I have to consider Dean.
Lee: Okay. How does he feel about windows?”

This exchange has me howling with laughter e v e r y time! Just watching Lee try to make heads or tails out of their two different worlds colliding: Amanda’s alien brand of suburban etiquette (etiquette meaning: customary code of polite behavior) versus his own — and asap so he can get some shut eye!

Just poking around. I know this is from years ago, but just couldn’t help myself.

Okay, shirtless Lee was my reward for a marathon session of catching up. I also love snarky Amanda back then. I also agree that had it continued it would be problematic. It’s interesting to see how Amanda progress from the snark and that Francine hasn’t.

One of the things Amanda says in this reminds of my Dad because it’s stuff he says. I wonder if it’s an Alabama thing as he is also from Alabama like KJ is. Amanda asks Lee “what in the Sam Hill he thinks he is doing?”. We got asked that a lot when we were kids and did something ridiculous. My Dad also calls my stepmother ‘baby cakes’ on occasion. But he is doing it in an endearing way.

I like how Amanda has to school Lee about the fact that they don’t have to try to make nice with the neighbors and they show up to prove her point. Yes, this was a long post. So much going on. I like how they are done now. We get to savor the walk.

Hi IWSOD,
I enjoy these random episode blogs–it shows how the show and your posts have developed. Can’t believe they are so long-I used to love long posts but now I really enjoy bite size every few days. Also, Amanda is snarky-it had to play that way to highlight the fish out of water stuff plus that Amanda had the brains to keep up. I think I have enjoyed her transformation even more than Lee’s. She developed while he grew up.

Hopefully at the end of season 4 (sob) you can keep the random episodes coming-it will always be a surprise as to what we are getting.

WOOT! Random post pick! My how Lee and Amanda and this Blog have matured over time. Love, love, love Sassy Amanda. Two things I have noticed – first the length is crazy compared to what we are doing now — I do prefer sectioning each episode to 10+ parts, and I really think the section with Lee with his shirt undone (Hoy Boy! Hubba, hubba!) deserves a post all of it’s own, and seccond – we all commented with foresight about what was going to happen in future episodes. What a blast from the past. 🙂

Love Sassy Amanda too. And I prefer her hair longer with the long bits not teased massively.
If we can drag our eyes off Lee’s chest, interesting how Lee’s clothing has changed. Much more formal and preppy. Look at V-neck jumper – stockbroker-casual 😀 . Did Lee wear jeans in S1?

you know.. at the same time.. I can’t help but think: had Amanda continued with the whole snarky attitude ‘oh that’s right up my alley’.. I can see she would not have been so easy to be with..
this is just IMHO of course.. but I see this as one of the differences between Amanda and Francine – and one of the reasons Lee grows to accept Amanda in his life, and thrive and grown into a good/mature man.. you know?!

But then.. I guess we could say this snark here is because Lee just blew her future employment as a sexually harassed typist. (hooray!)

rofl so true Cindy!!! It makes me laugh to see how different JWWM is now!
JWWM started off as one thing.. and then morphed or grew into another!

I could go back and delete these early comments and posts but I don’t want to do that – I appreciate everyone who comments (even if they no longer stop by- I can live in hope that one day they will return to say hi! 🙂 ) and I appreciate the journey along the way – not just for the show itself but for this blog also!

It is hilarious to think how I could have covered such great eps in only a few posts.. I think if I had started out thinking I would do say 16 posts on one episode I would have thought myself quite mad haaaaaa.. but now I don’t see it as mad.. haaaaa! [frog in a beaker and all that?!]

I prefer to split the eps into shorter segments too – it leaves room for more conversation – and smaller aspects that got overshadowed by major events get their little moment in the sun 🙂

I can’t wait to come back to season 1 and walk through them again in much more detail!

And apologies to anyone new who is confused – early JWWM didn’t care about jumping ahead in the story.. and as the walk progressed I found I wanted to write blog posts unspoiled at what was ahead..

Plus, I found the exploration of the walk was better (IMHO) when we didn’t jump ahead.. we all tended to draw on future events to say something – which then lead to questions and discussion about how we viewed future events – because we didn’t all see the same things.. so it seemed to turn conversation toward exploring future events.. lol it got quite complicated.. and meant current events were always overshadowed by future events – so the unfolding journey was being overshadowed by the destination.. am I making sense?

Long story short: we started off with no restrictions.. the blog evolved over time.. and nowadays we don’t jump ahead of the walk – so sorry if this has been confusing for newbies.. the blog has been a work in progress – and oh my goodness – this post was written December 2011!!! 4 years ago!!!! gah!!! (iwsod is feeling slightly light headed at how long she’s been writing this blog thingie)

gotta run! I’ll try and get back to this post and revisit early L&A soon! 🙂 bye!

If this is a random post pick, then iwsod has Amanda’s luck and we are the beneficiaries. Lee in an unbuttoned shirt showing some skin? Come on! How did that happen! iwsod, are you playing a trick on us? 😉

I do like the 10+ posts per episode too. Even though it really exposes the plot craters, it also exposes all the nuance in their growing relationship. Guess we have to take the bad with the good.

LOL I don’t look at the post I that I’m linking too.. I try not to – or I could be tempted to be selective – which is the opposite of ‘random’…

Shirtless Lee? Ahhh what can I say.. chance is a beautiful thing! 😉

I do like the 10+ posts per episode too. Even though it really exposes the plot craters, it also exposes all the nuance in their growing relationship. Guess we have to take the bad with the good.

I soooo agree! It’s a bit of double edged sword at times.. and maybe not for everyone.. but I guess for those of us who are sticking with this journey, our love for the show can survive the plot craters! and.. really it’s part of the charm haaaaaa! 😉 you just never know what funny goodies are head! 🙂

ohhh my gosh.. I cringe!!! at all my future references! gah!!! I don’t know if I want to be reading these early posts now haaaaaa… 4 years ago I remembered stuff.. I haven’t seen season 4 eps in 4 years! eek!!

Is it possible there is a double meaning to the interchange regarding being authentic? It would be “kind of nice if at least one of [them] was authentic.” and Amanda says she doesn’t have to ask which one of them is authentic. So, are the writers hinting that in the characters’ lives, Amanda is showing her true self, whereas Lee is hiding behind the Scarecrow persona?? Have I gone too far (a definite danger when obsessing about SAMK)?

Hah! I just noticed Lee’s magic glass of water. When Amanda finds the bullet hole in the couch cushion, Lee is pouring himself a glass of water… he pours it a little over half full and walks away from the bottle, then when we switch the camera angle back to Amanda his glass is mostly full… magic!

KC I love these insights keep them coming! You know, when I look at a post, I can’t check everything and see everything or an episode could take months to get through! 🙂 It does take a team of people to find all these gems which are there waiting to be found!!!

Glad to hear you are on tie Patrol – sounds like there are many additional rewards! 🙂

Hi, just noticed something I hadn’t before, Lee grabs Amanda’s hand while running from BB et al and doesn’t let go till they get to the roof. Hah! Already protective of her, isn’t he?! Coz its faster to run on your own. Good man!

So, in this episode Lee asks Amanda if she likes the window cracked open a bit while she sleeps. In season 3 Food for Thought Amanda informs Lee that she likes to sleep with the window cracked open just a bit. Than in the last Episode of Season 4 The Kruschev List one of the things Lee and Amanda fight about is that she likes the Window open while she sleeps. I know it’s Random but I had to share.

So many great scenes. . . Not enough time.
Has anyone else noticed the tire tracks on the lawn behind Lee at the Bodine’s. Before the van tries to run Lee down?
Great screen captures! I need to get on a computer with a larger screen so I can really enjoy them.

So funny Dotty telling that the green shirt did weird things to her LOL!!!! EWWWW telling her boyfriend her darkest secrets, maybe Dotty’s the one in love with Dean 🙂 If they are only going to be there a few days then why did Lee bother hanging that hideous animal head. He would have had to use anchors for that heavy thing….but he is the super spy so maybe he had them up his sleeve 😉 I love that Lee is the one out of his comfort zone (how many times will Amanda be asked to do that?) Yeah, I would have loved to seen more of Amanda two worlds mixing like that!!

Yeah, even though Lee “just” hung the bison head (and was that really necessary?), it’s a pretty impressive feat. I know when I am trying to hang pictures or heavy mirrors I end up with a wall full of holes.

You know, Iwsod, I was just re-reading a comment you made earlier in this post about back to back lines seeming discontinuous … in one line Amanda seemed energetic and in the next she seemed weary. I’ve noticed several cases early in S1 where the editing is suspect, or sometimes downright weird! One example is a phone conversation that Lee and Francine have about Johnson Oil (if I got the name right) in Gift Horse. It always seems to me as they are having two independent discussions! Lots of breaks in flow. Another example is in Saved by the Bells .. when Amanda is at Lee’s apartment to take care of his fish and he is getting ready to leave, there are some very disjoint parts of that conversation as well. At one point she is threatening him with the thought of cleaning his apartment and he is looking a little nervous about it, and suddenly he is all upbeat and telling his fish good-bye! I don’t know if maybe they just didn’t do enough takes early on and so the editors sometimes didn’t have enough to work with or what, but it’s strange!

Hi Raffie! if you come across any of those weird out of context moments please let us know! I may not necessarily notice them.. I didn’t feel the moment with Francine and Lee was weird on the phone.. at least I didn’t notice it.. anyone else?? I was so distracted by how annoying Francine was being complaining about what a professional she is and how she had to do some work and imitation wood tables.. ewwww..

Sometimes the editing is brilliant.. with some quirky interesting interplays between two completely different scenes ( like in gift horse- the transition from Lee looking up and pondering orange lip gloss to Dotty looking down at Amanda from upstairs) – and then.. they seem to stuff up the simple stuff.. oh well.. I love smk for it anyway!!

This is one of my very favorite SMKs too … it doesn’t quite break the top 10 but it’s close and I LOL all the way through it! I love the bison head clip as Lee asks Amanda (in a priceless tone) whether she will be bringing other things from home. Love the flamingo fencing and the flamingo gag in general. Yes, the pink flamingos and also the “night guard” statue are both fun blasts from the past. I love the irony in this episode where they pan to the night guard statue guarding the property just before they show that Lee and Amanda have broken into the Bodine house 🙂

Iwsod, I so appreciated all those shots of Lee during your quoting of the argument about the bed. They really lent a certain “je ne sais quoi” to the whole segment. Your post definitely wouldn’t have been the same without them 😉 In fact, I had to read that section through a couple times to make sure I had a full appreciation of the impressive and well-crafted, um, dialog. (Well, when you’re a new show starting off, you have to work with what you’ve got, right?! )

Hi Raffie! Thanks so much for commenting! I thought you would appreciate all the work that went into the dialogue of that ‘who gets the bed’ scene 😉 haaaa… I do think I skimped on the photos in that scene though.. it needed many many more.. ahem.. Thanks for putting in that effort Raffie to re-read that section a few times to grasp what was going on.. you are a true smk fan 😉 such dedication! 🙂
It is so wonderful you have found your way here – thanks so much!! 🙂

That statue on the front lawn was a night guard? what is that?? I was wondering if maybe he was a jockey or something? haaaa.. they guard the property do they? is it a goodluck thing? tell me more!

One of my favourite shows. I love how fiesty Amanda was the first few episodes of season 1. The writers toned it down the second half of season 1 and season 2 which is a shame IMO. I am looking forward to reading part 3.

Hi Cindy! thanks for commenting 🙂 I agree they do reduce Amanda’s feisty tendencies… although at the same time, I suppose she still manages to teach Lee a lesson or two along the way – and while I thought it was justified with Lee ruining her job chances and really enjoyed it! (haaaa) – I think if it had been overdone then Amanda could have seemed more like Francine – Francine IMO is quick with her ‘verbal jabs’ – whereas I like to think Amanda is more subtle than that overall ( with the occassional smart remark – but it does seem they were pretty concentrated in this ep huh!) .. Do you agree? Thanks for bringing this up Cindy I hadn’t really thought about it from an overall perspective before!

COMMENTING GUIDELINES

This blog is for the fun and indepth discussion of Scarecrow and Mrs King episodes.
Please be respectful of all opinions :)

***JWWM does not refer to future events in the show - it stays with the characters on their journey - explores where they are, and what has come before..
therefore- No spoilers beyond where the walk is up to please :) Thanks***

***All posts can be commented on at anytime- Posts are always open for people to add new insights to as they watch or rewatch ***

This Blog is rated PG - Just like the TV show! If it would appear in an smk episode, it can appear here! ;)

Any problems, issues or questions feel free to let me know. (iwsod@optusnet.com.au)
*By posting on this blog, you are agreeing to these guidelines*